Flights - best time to schedule
 

Hello everyone,
I am flying to Europe in June 2007. What is the best time of the year to get the best pricing? Another way of asking might be....when's the best time to get discounts?

Thanks!

The sales usually seem to start a few months before you want to fly. If you want June tickets, I would start looking for sales around February or March. However, prices pluctuate constantly, so basically its better to decide on a price you are willing to pay and go for it when you find it. June is peak season though, so the tickets will probably be on the high side.

Tracy

The first time I would <b>look</b> at fares is 331 days out which is the earliest you could possibly book.

This is not to say that those fares will necessarily be the lowest you'll see.

I think you should also consider looking at a <b>variety</b> of sources for tickets to include the airlines themselves, the usual search engines, as well as consolidator and aggragator sites.

Nobody ever knows when a sale will be held, or if there will even be one. relying on information from the past isn't a good idea IMO since those days are gone...forever.

However...Luftganza has 3 year on a row sale for going in April which surprises everything out of me because it is our hot Easter break and you can go to Europe cheap...

OK...then I guess I was wrong and those days aren't gone forever..wait for the sale!!!!

You should start at least following fares about a year in advance, so you can catch a good deal. June is a big travel month so prices will be on the high side. I usually book europe trips about 6 months in advance. Fares seem to change all the time and there are occasional sales.

All of my recent Europe trips have been in Mar/Apr. I always booked in the fall (around oct/nov) and have hit some good sales at that time.

I've learned the best strategy is to look at fares often after that 331 day time has past. This gives you a good idea of how 'normal' fares are. Then set a price in your head for what you are willing to pay for the fares. When that comes up, BUY IT RIGHT AWAY! It could be gone in 5 minutes while you are off researching other sites.

This is how I got my tix Miami to London this June. Normally around $900-1000 discounted, there was a one-day Travelocity sale for Virgin Air tickets $488 including taxes. I pounced :)

Thanks for all the feedback! I do appreciate the information.